N Gauge colliery train set

[MrBrightSi]

Decided to open another thread as the other one was all about proving how good a train set can be and ushering me and others to get into it.

So here it is


This is how it looked when set up and with the extra points and straights added


This didnt pass muster with my father, i wanted to practice making scenery and do a bit of research and see if i could make a homage to my colliery village by making a little coal mine and a bit of thevillage and some countryside. He got his way however and we decided to try our(my) hands at flexitarck.



After a lot of swearing, breading of dremel cutting wheels and fish plate stabbed thumbs it started to take shape, just needed to remove the push pins and firmly blue tack it down a bit more solid and with the ability to run on.


Whats ended up happening is i've accidently made the inner spur from point to point and round isolated from the power if both points are opened. Shame, didnt realise, i might move the power connectors, or just leave as it.

If you really have time to burn, heres it running around the outter oval
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWjYtvC6qSk&fea...

Edited by MrBrightSi on Thursday 10th January 22:11

[miniman]

http://xuron.com/index.php/main/consumer_products/...

[dr_gn]

I can see that this is going to get extremely time consuming and expensive. Good effort!

[Stedman]

Nice one!

[kenny Chim 4]

Sorry Mr. B, can't help with those rail connections but can point you in the right direction to getting a realistic pit head lift. See it here: http://www.benhamsonline.com/index.php?act=viewPro... but it may be cheaper on sites like ebay etc.

[MrBrightSi]

Thanks for the link Kenny, i think i'll buy the majority of my buildings as a kit, but i wouldnt mind having a go at making some of the colliery buildings myself. The layout itself is not final, just messing, flexitrack being 2.90 for a yard means i can experiment for the time being. I'd like my layout to focus on a continuous run but have a shunt/fiddle yard with the colliery adjacent, it's not going to be meden vale completely, but feature some of the bits of it.

[kenny Chim 4]

That makes sense Simon and using flexitrack is certainly the way to go btw.

As an aside, the colours depictited on the large 'tank' in the centre of your pic is an excellent guide to follow if anyone here is painting a Uboat or wetherbeaten old ship!

[DIW35]

I think the general rule with railway electrics and points is that the feed should be at the toe end of the points (the bottom of the 'Y' if you like.) For both of your loops to work, the elctric feed should be somewhere on the track at the further end of your picture.

[marshal_alan]

put a power feed anywhere outside of the loop and you will be fine. also ger rid of that blooming blutak and pin the track down properly, drill small holes in each sleeper into the board and push pins home using needle nose pliers and a tap from a hammer

also solder any electrical connections using a 25watt iron and plenty of flux, been using the same tin of flux for over 20 years now and it is good stuff

[dr_gn]

On my OO layout (DCC) I've been advised to power each section of flexitrack separately.

I'll be PVA-ing the track to a cork underlay.

[DavidY]

dr_gn, which DCC system?

[dr_gn]

DavidY said:

dr_gn, which DCC system?

It's a Dymanis wireless one. It was recommended by the LHS. Mine's new, but there was something wrong with the box (or something) so I got it pretty much 1/2 price from the Doncaster Model Rail exhibition last February.

Seems to work fine.

[DavidY]

Thanks for the info

[miniman]

I do like the look of the Hornby Elite, as the accompanying PC software looks rather good.

[MrBrightSi]

Just a quick update.

Bought a metcalfe engine shed and workshop. These cardboard models are wonderful time consuming things. More pleasing than fustrating and dont half reward your fiddly work when done.






Fits 2 lines into the shed, still unsure if 2 trains can acctually enter at the same time.

[Red Firecracker]

If you've a half decent printer, it's worth looking here;

http://www.scalescenes.com/

[Kneetrembler]

Another free one to use for any brickwork and stonework amongst other construction materials & print off as required is www.paperbrick.co.uk

[anonymous-user]

Red Firecracker said:

If you've a half decent printer, it's worth looking here;

http://www.scalescenes.com/

Wow that's a great site, I downloaded and printed the free small goods shed and with the use of the kids craft supply of PVA, some of my modelling kit and a Kellogg's cereal box. 2hrs later son has his first layout building for the set he got at christmas, very solid and very realistic, much better and considerably cheaper than the basic trackside Hornby solid plastic offerings.

Once the baseboard is sorted I'll be buying a few of these to make up with him.

[MrBrightSi]

Time for an update.

I went out and purchased a couple of boards of extruded foam. I couldnt get 1inch so im stuck to 2 inch. In N gauge thats HUGE, shame that landscaping is going to be so hard now, but it's my first board and im not looking for ultra realism.

Bought another card model from metcalfe, a stone bridge. Looks great and it just as fiddly as the other 2 i did to put together, but rewarding.

Heres where im at with trying to blend it into the rest of the landscape, theres a lot to be done, but now i've made my final layout choice, it's just a matter of doing one bit of landscape at a time.

[Red Firecracker]

Good progress.

One thing to consider is to bond some thin ply to the edges of the foam board to protect them from knocks and bashes. You can also contour them to provide some more relief for scenery.